Culture Shock
by Darikiema
Summary: AU: Lu Ten and his father took Ba Sing Se two years ago and he left to search for peaceful alternatives to end the war. After a traumatic event at the South Pole, he returns to the Fire Nation with the last waterbender as his new adopted daughter. His family is far from impressed, but when she proves herself to be quite the fighter, will they have a choice about accepting her?


_A/N: Ok, so this started out as a 'what if' sort of on shot that spiraled into a multi chaptered story. As of right now, it is a one shot. When I get the story finished I'll post the rest. In the mean time, I just couldn't wait to post this. More or less because I wanted to know if this idea is even worth pursuing. Please let me know what you think. -^_^-_

* * *

"General Iroh," a young soldier called softly. His tall and lean farm was stiff with distress his young eyes showing his apprehension at confronting the man atop the throne platform.

Said man was currently bowed over a large table, littered heavily with reports of war, financial and residential alike. At the top of them was a letter, seal broken and lightly singed at one side. Surely the work of the general's niece. Shifting his gaze from the happy letter from his brother's children to the fidgeting guard at the base of the stairs. After a moment of careful consideration, Iroh indicated for the man to continue.

"General Iroh, sir. Your son, Lu Ten, has arrived at the wall and is on his way to the palace," the young soldier announced calmly, bowing in respect when finished.

"Thank you, Corporal Chang. Please inform me when my son arrives at the palace. And, have him brought straight here."

"Yes, General."

And he was alone again. Iroh released a heavy sigh of fatigue, general irritation and relief of his son's return to Ba Sing Se. Pardon, New Azulon. Although many, if not most, of the the Fire Nation and its military refer to it as the Dragon's Keep. Said Dragon was now returning to the many other letters atop the table.

Aside from one of his niece and nephew's most recent attempt at getting along and writing him a letter, there were a few from his brother, Ozai, and his father, Azulon. The majority of them, however, were from his son. Lu Ten's most recent adventures had lead him out onto the open water and to one of the few remaining places free of Fire Nation control or occupation. The Southern Water Tribe, where rumors were circulating about a waterbender. The last southern waterbender. However, the contents of his son's most recent letters were quite... worrisome. Something Iroh intended to deal with before anything else.

He sighed once more, running his hand down his face to stroke his adjoining beard. Lu Ten had been away away for two years, scouring the globe to find a way of bringing a peaceful end to the Water Tribes or Omashu. His search had found him at the South Pole, where, and spirits only know why, his son had been at the front of a skirmish with the people. One that had ended his son's time with the Southern Raiders. Not only because of the terrible and bitter battle that had occurred, but because the entire tribe had either been killed or had escaped to the Northern Water Tribe. Except for one. The waterbender.  
The very same person his son was bringing to the former Capitol of the fallen Earth Kingdom.

Iroh pinched the bridge of his nose to stall the headache that threatened to consume him at the thought of such folly. Really, he had taught his son better than declare the waterbending girl under his care. A marriage between them would most certainly be forbidden. What was he thinking? The fool!

The sound of creaking and scraping brought the general out of his musings as the massive doors to the throne room were opened. The young soldier from earlier stepped up again, followed by a wide and well built, albeit a little short, form that was unmistakably Lu Ten.

"General Iroh. Prince Lu Ten has arrived and has been brought before you, as ordered." Corporal Chang bowed once more before stepping aside and allowing the other man to pass.

"Prince Iroh," the other soldier murmured, bowing deeply. When he was upright once more, Lu Ten's strong face broke into a giant, bright smile.

"My son," Iroh acknowledged. Against protocol, and decorum, Iroh took a firm hold of Lu Ten's shoulder and pulled him into a strong embrace.

"I have missed you, Father. It has been far too long."

"Indeed, Lu Ten. Please, for the sake of my health, do not take so long to at least come visit me."

"Of course. I do not intend to. In fact, I mean to return to the Capitol with you until such a time as I am needed to end this war. I have someone to take care of now. And, I intend on acclimating her to our family with my support for as long as possible," Lu Ten stated cautiously, slowly gauging his father's reaction.

"Oh? Well tell me, my son, what do intend to do with the waterbender once you have done this?" Iroh asked dangerously. He may have been old, but he was still quite the adversary. He knew this game had many endings, and most weighed heavily on the less than favorable side of the scale.

"I intend, Father," Lu Ten began, pulling his shoulders free of the general's grasp and squaring them proudly before continuing. "To protect and care for her. To honor and love her with the hopes of her continued trust and affection. Trust me; I have no illusions of marriage or her welcome within our family or out nation. But, as daughter of the Southern Water Tribe Chief, she will make a valuable asset to our image of a fair and just nation. With her support. She may be all the bridge we ever need to make a permanent peace with the Northern Tribe. I have though long and hard about this, Father, and I believe this to be the right course of action to end this spirits forsaken war." His declaration finished, Lu Ten awaited his father's judgement with silent determination.

Iroh, for his part, had managed to keep his face devoid of all emotion for the duration. He breathed deeply, turning his son's words over in his mind, considering their points and factoring them into the ever changing game of politics. On the one hand, a waterbender as an ally for peace with the Fire Nation was an almost inconceivable advantage he had not thought of. But, on the other, a waterbender as the future Fir Lady? No way. Never.  
The old general side once more, pinching his nose against the already massive headache. Eyes closed and lips thinned to a purse, he felt more than heard his son shift nervously.

"Will you at least see her, Father? Before you make your decision to support me or not." His voice was calm and steady to the untrained. But, Iroh could hear the nervous pleading and edge of of fear to the man's tone. He returned his gaze to his son's eyes and they held the same desperation, apprehension. The same hope.

"Very well, Lu Ten. I will meet her." A bright smile graced the young man's and some face, his eyes alight.

Turning to the door, Lu Ten waved for someone for someone to come closer. Iroh turned towards it also, noting his previous oblivion to the small form. There he saw the waterbender.

Her tan skin, unbelievably blue eyes and thick, wavy hair all screamed of what she was. Water Tribe.

She walked tall and proud, her feet almost stomping with determination. She had her chin raised defiantly, challengingly. Though, the father she walked away from the guards and towards Lu Ten, the faster her pace became. Until she was all but running into the man's arms. And once there, the girl buried her face into his robes.

And that's what she was. A girl. No older than his very own niece.

"It"s alright. You're safe now," Lu Ten soothed, wrapping his arms around her thing and frail shoulders, one hand resting comfortingly against the back of her head. "Don't be afraid. Come now, meet my father, Crown Prince and General, Iroh," Lu ten urged, pulling away ever so slightly to try and draw the girl in blue out. She turned her head away from the swath of red fabric that fell from his son's shoulders to peek up at the older man. Iroh watched as one tiny, sapphire eye peered up at him from beyond the folds of his son's cloak. It was all he could do to smile warmly at the little girl as he tried to regain his reeling mind.

"Father, this is Katara," Lu Ten told him softly, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.  
"She's so," Iroh trailed off, turning his beseeching gaze to his son's soft eyes.

"Young? I know. And, as far as I am aware, I am the one to have orphaned her. Yet she trusts me," he murmured incredulously, staring down into the small eyes of the little girl. Katara squeezed her eyes closed, faint traces of tears lining her lashes before she buried her head further into his robes, shaking it vigorously as she tightened her grasp around his muscled frame.

"We'll, it's my fault in any case. Which is why I have decided to adopt her," Lu Ten said softly, a dark shadow of grief passed behind his amber eyes as he made his announcement.

"No, my son. You cannot make a waterbender your heir," Iroh's stern voice said, loud in the suddenly silent chamber, despite his low, warning tone.

"You misunderstand me father!" Lu Ten cried out with exasperation. He waved one of his arms about his side to express himself, the other clutching tighter to the little girl around his waist, as if afraid she would be ripped from his grasp. "I do not wish to claim her as my heir. In fact, I mean for her become a Fire Nation citizen while maintaining her rights to the Water Tribes. I do not want her to be faced with becoming a ruler over the people who destroyed the Air Nomads and her tribe while leaving her an orphan! I do not want her to be faced with any of this! I want for her to grow up with her family and people. But since that is not an option anymore, I want for her to be safe and happy! I only wish to fill the role of guidance my own stupidity and naivety took away. I am only trying to give her what family I can." His words were soft when he finished, his gaze sad and longing as he watched the top of the waterbender's head.

"My son," Iroh whispered, resting his hand on the young man's shoulder, face solemn. "I can see that you have out much thought into this. And, were you on your own, other's would not accept this. But, I see the benefits of having the young girl join our family. Both in the scheme of politics and the dynamics of our relationships. She will be good for you in learning of fatherhood; she will be good for our families lack of affection. Agni knows that the influences over your cousins are not the same as those over you. I will stand by your decision, on the condition that she does not enter the line of succession."  
Lu Ten's shocked and relieved expression spoke volumes in the silence of the old throne room. But, it wavered in favor of a thankful smile.

"I assure you, Father. So long as I can help it, she will never ascend to the throne of the Fire Nation," he promised, clasping his father's shoulder affectionately again. A moment later, they released each other and he made his way out of the throne room to call for some tea and cakes, Katara giggling softly in his arms.

Iroh watched as his son carried the waterbender, his new granddaughter, out of the room, beginning a story about the Earth King's bear, Bosco. He thought of the mess his fool of a son had made. One that he may never fix and could end with the world, and their family, in ruins. But, the girl had shown herself not as easily intimidated as others would be. Perhaps she would be good for their lives. Spirits knew his brother's clutches on his children and their mother's suffocating affection were unhealthy, while his unreasonable demands should get the better of them. Maybe this little girl, from a world so different to their own, could bring light and happiness back to them. He sighed slowly, heavily. A plume of exasperated smoke from each nostril rose to the ceiling. Then headed of to the palace gardens to observe the latest development his son had incurred upon him. And to have a nice cup of jasmine tea. Spirits, he would surely need it.

* * *

Lu Ten sighed his content as he swirled the dark tea in his mouth, savoring the robust and near bitter taste. Beside him sat his new daughter, Katara. She was timidly chewing on some sweet buns, her hand darting out to grab one off the tray as fast as she could manage. In some ways the little girl reminded him of himself, others of his cousin, Zuko. Across the table from him was his father, proud and regal. His stern face soft as he watched the little waterbender eat.

"Tell me, Katara. What do you like to do for fun?" Iroh asked, plucking a spicy roll of his own from the tray and popping it in his mouth. Katara jumped in surprise at being directly spoken too. She swallowed slowly, eyeing the elderly man across the table from her with something akin to suspicion.

"Sokka and I used to go penguin sledding all the time. When we weren't doing that we would build forts and have snow wars," she finally answered with a sad little shrug. A strong pain stabbed deep within Lu Ten's chest at her despondent tone, the tea in his mouth turning sour. It was all he could do not to spit it out and gag. Instead he placed a broad hand across the width of her small shoulders.

"Sokka. He is your brother, I presume?" his father murmured, his face mild and sympathetic. Katara shifted, staring down at her hands. They were small and delicate as they rested in her lap. There was nothing about them that would cause someone to assume that they were some of the most powerful hands in all of the South Pole. For a time, it appeared as though Katara was going to ignore the old general, but she eventually sniffed and nodded her head. Lu Ten's hand on her back began slow circles of comfort. A sudden thought struck him then and he set his tea on the table as he turned a little towards the little girl.

"How do you sled with a penguin?"

Katara looked up at him them, her deep blue eyes glistening with tears. She stared at him for a moment, her face breaking into a wide grin in another. Her giggles only intensified at her guardian's confused expression.

"You ride them!" she gasped. "You give them a fish and they follow you to a slope. You give them another and they lay down so you can sit on their backs, and then you go!" She informed, beginning an animated tale about her favorite slope and a certain penguin that had a white spot on its he'd and how he would always go super fast. Lu Ten watched in fascination as the girl waved her arms around her, describing each of the turns and obstacles the pair would always face. Even his father was held captive by her tale. So entranced with her story, they didn't notice the guard who had entered the garden until he was standing beside the three of them and asked the little girl how often she would ride the creatures. Lu Ten barley managed to hide his start, his father doing better than he and Katara not at all. She recovered quickly, however, and was describing a typical day at the South Pole before Iroh even had the chance to ask the man why he was there.  
Lu Ten could only chuckle as the guard and the servants who were attending the trio in the gardens were all brought under the waterbender's spell. He himself had fallen prey to it too many times to count. In that respect, she was like Azula. His younger cousin's ability to talk to people was unprecedented, and the man often wondered how she would take to having the Water Tribe girl as competition. And that is certainly what it would end up being.

"Hm, thank you, Katara. You're tales are most wonderful and entertaining to listen to. But, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to know the reason of Commander Sheng's presence here," Iroh gently interrupted. He couldn't very well be harsh on the girl. Not only would Lu Ten disapprove, but he was a better man than to snap at a child. Especially one who had been through so much.

Katara flushed and dropped her head, mumbling an apology. But, she brightened considerably when the general handed her the last sweet bun.

"Beg your pardon, General Iroh. A letter from your father has just arrived," the Commander, who was also blushing in shame and embarrassment, informed as he handed a sealed scroll to his superior. Lu Ten chuckled and offered the man a sympathetic smile, gesturing to the little girl at his side happily munching away on the sticky bread. The commander returned it sheepishly.

"Hm, thank you Commander. You are dismissed. I believe that it is time for the young bender to go to sleep," Iroh offered, smiling knowingly at the girl. She instantly began to pout, crossing her arms as she muttered about not being a baby. The commander bowed and offered his apologies once more, chuckling at the waterbender as he left. The servants also couldn't hide their amusement.

"Come now, Katara. You have been walking most of the day. We will be here for another few days. There will be plenty of time for me to show you all the best places to play around here," Lu Ten offered, admonishing the small girl for being uncooperative. She smiled sheepishly.

"You promise?" she asked quietly. Lu Ten smiled warmly before nodding.

"If you will excuse us father. I will see that she is put to bed."

"Of course. But, Lu Ten. When you are finished, I will have another word with you." His father's gaze was steady and unwavering. His eyes were kind, but sharp. And when Lu Ten met them, he could see that their previous conversation was not yet over with. He nodded slowly, bowing his head with respect.

"Come, Katara. Let us find you something to wear and a nice big bed to sleep in," he told the small girl, her bronze skin glowing in the ending twilight and rising moon. She smiled and jumped into his outstretched arms. Something she had started doing the moment he had promised to always protect her. Not that he minded. She was still small enough that she fit just perfectly into his arms, her head on his shoulder and under his chin. In the corner of his eye, though, he could see the concerned look his father cast his direction at the display. But, he openly ignored it and left the gardens. He didn't regret his decision, and if his father was going to, then he would just have to help Katara prove herself to him, their family and their nation.

The palace was large and made entirely of stone. The perfect place for the Earth King and his earthbenders. Not that it had helped them during the siege of Ba Sing Se. But, despite this and the glowing green crystals everywhere, the palace was large and airy. It allowed much of the ambient light inside, the summer breezes through the large windows and the scent of the city in bloom to permeate the senses of those inside. The gold and green of the former rulers had not been covered or removed, except for the giant Fire Nation banner atop the Earth Kingdom insignia carved into the face of the palace. His father, had seen that the place had retained as much of its culture as possible, while still maintaining efficiency for the new government.

Despite this, Karata still peered around, wide eyed at all the different things. Having grown up around snow and ice her whole life, the little girl was obviously in awe of the stone and the trees full of color and the birds that flew about the sky. After having stepped off Lu Ten's metal ship for the first time in months, she had about fallen over at the sight of the giant rock wall. And like before, she held on tightly to him, her new protector.

It wasn't long after Lu Ten had found his chambers and sent for the servants to find some clean cloths for Katara that she began to yawn. While waiting for the clothes, Lu Ten shooed the little girl away to observe the modest apartment.

"Lu Ten, is this what it will be like in your home?" She had found herself a nice cushion to sit on in front of the fire and was currently watching him remove is armor.

"No. It will be big and grand like this, but it will be red. And hot. I don't know if you'll like it at first. But you will get used to it. There are trees of all shapes and colors, birds and animals that run around wild or live in the palace grounds. There are people of all kinds there too. You'll love the fire lilies. They only bloom for a few weeks every year, and it won't be long after we get there that they will start. And then there will be my family there."

"Oh," was her despondent reply.

"Is something the matter?" He asked her, pulling the last of his armor off his arms and setting atop a nearby dresser. When she didn't respond, he sat down beside her, pulling her into his lap and holding her close. "Don't worry, dear. My father is just surprised and confused. Once you are settled, I will go talk to him and we will clear all this up. You just have to show him what a wonderful and sweet little girl you are. And once we get to the Fire Nation, I'll introduce you to my cousins. I think you'll like Zuko. He's shy and a little dopey, but he's nice. Azula is… different. She will take some getting used too, but eventually, I'm sure you'll be good friends. If nothing else, you can ignore her. And you'll always have me. I promise."

"I know," Katara mumbled. Her head had found its way into the deep red fabric draped over his torso and her arms were wrapped around his waist.

Lu Ten sighed before resting his chin on her head. This really was a strange situation. Not even two months ago, this little girl didn't know his name, had never even seen his face! And yet, here she was, sitting in his lap holding onto him almost for dear life, completely trusting of him. How he had been so lucky as to gain it, he still didn't quite know. And despite himself, he couldn't bring himself to wish he had never gone with the Southern Raiders. Oh how he wished she was still with her family, but at least she was here, with him. And not off in some spirits forsaken prison or dead. At least he had stopped the bastard, Yon Rah.

"I'm sorry. I wish I knew where Sokka was. I'll find him one day. I promise."

"I know," she whispered, her breathing slowing as she began to doze off.

It wasn't long after that the servant had returned with a set of small green sleeping clothes, white bindings and three different colored dresses. One green, another tan, and the third a deep russet. The day clothes were set aside to be worn throughout the duration of their stay while Katara was taken to the washroom to be dressed for the night. And once she was ready, Lu Ten gladly tucked her into the giant bed of his chambers and promised her day of exploring when she woke up. With that, she promptly rolled over and fell asleep.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save your mother, Katara," Lu Ten whispered, placing a gentle kiss on the girl's head.

* * *

A knock sounded on the door to Iroh's chambers.

"Enter," he called, calmly setting his nightly cup of tea on the low table.

"Father," Lu Ten said, bowing. He took a steadying breath before taking the seat across the table his father offered him. He waited patiently as the older man continued to read through some leaflets of paper.

"I have many questions for you, my son," Iroh began, finally turning his attention to the dark haired man.

"I understand, Father. Know that I will answer all your questions to the best of my capabilities, but that there may be answers I simply do not have."

Iroh looked his son over with a critical stare, turning over the questions in his mind to prioritize them. He finally decided to start with the one that had weighed most heavily on his mind.

"What happened in the South Pole, Lu Ten?"

He winced. He knew his father would ask him that question, but it still hurt to think about the events that had lead up to the current situation. He gently refused the cup of tea his father offered him, for he feared the tale would leave his stomach turning and didn't want anything inside it as of that moment. He sifted for a few moments, watching the steam rise from the spout of the teapot.

"It- it is not a pleasant tale, Father," he eventually began, his gaze never leaving the teapot.

"I see."

"No, there is much you probably would not anticipate. Such as the reason of Yon Rah's banishment. The reason we ended up fighting the tribesmen in the first place. The reason Katara is with me and not inside some prison hold on the way to the Fire Nation. Well, maybe that is not as hard to figure out." The last statement wistful. "It should have just been a simple peace negotiation, but I was used.

"I had been serving over the men on Captain Yon Rah's ship for many months and I can tell you, I did not like the man. But, he was a good captain. His men respected him and he knew the seas well. Despite his cold exterior and hard disposition on the tribesmen, he was fair to his crew. To me. I could see myself looking up to him if I had been a less informed or experienced man. We were able to tolerate each other well and get our tasks done efficiently.

"We had just docked on the ice shelf closest to the Southern Tribe and raised the white flag to discuss the terms of a peace treaty I had contacted the chief about a few weeks prior. I had no intention of taking the waterbender or even seeking out their identity. I only wished to bring the peace to the Tribe and offer help in rebuilding their homes and lives. Yon Rah, however, had no intentions of allowing the waterbender to live.

"While I was inside their meeting hut with their chief, Hakoda, Yon Rah and his men were scouting out the village under the guise of documenting all the destruction they had caused over the last one hundred years. They were secretly looking for the waterbender. For Katara, although they didn't know it. They had followed the girl and her brother around, having decided to give them the tour of the village like any other little kid with too much excitement for their own good. It would have been humorous, if they weren't being used.

"As I was beginning to wrap up our negotiations with the chief and his men, Yon Rah ordered his men to attack, and subdue me if I refused to cooperate. Which I did. I was held down by three men as the others attacked the people, tearing through houses, demanding to know where the waterbender was. The men of the tribe fought tooth and nail to keep them at bay, and it was Hakoda himself who freed me. To thank him, I fought against my own country men, trying to incapacitate them so that the battle would end peaceably. That was when I heard the little girl's scream.

"I had met the Katara and her brother, Sokka, when first arriving at the village, so I couldn't help but be drawn to her screams. Inside her home, I found Yon Rah standing over the Hakoda's wife, Kya, and Katara staring up at him in horror. He was- he was crazy father. He didn't care that he had caused the girl so much fear, or had struck her own mother before her. But, Kya was a brave woman, she told Yon Rah to leave. Told him to get out of her house and leave her daughter alone. When he didn't, she told Katara to leave. To run and get her father. But he just- he killed… right in front of… I'm just so very glad she didn't scream. I managed to pull Katara to me right as Yon Rah… I stopped her from watching. But, I couldn't stop him from… I couldn't stop her…" Lu Ten shook as the sobs he had choked back all this time finally broke free. He watched through blurry eyes as his knuckles turned white from the strength behind the grip on his knees. He opened his mouth to speak again, try to apologize for his break down, but all that came out was a strangled sob. Before he knew it, his father had moved from his side of the table to pull his son into his own grasp and he was choking and sobbing into the man's shoulder like a a child again.

"I've seen people killed, Father. Spirits know I've done my fair share of it. But, to kill a woman trying to protect he daughter, right in front of her! What sort of man would be so- so heartless?! I don't- I can't understand!"

"I know, my son. I know. The atrocities of war are nothing to the sheer madness of murder. Yon Rah was wrong, foolish, evil to do what he did. But, tell me, my son. What happened next?"

"I- I don't really remember. I watched Kya… and then I was attacking Yon Rah. I threw him right through the wall. I can't rightly recall just how much I was to blame for his injuries, but I know that it wasn't enough. He deserved worse than a broken nose and simple banishment. But, by the time the men had pulled me off of him, the tribesmen had fled, the soldiers had stopped their attack to watch and Katara had been left behind. I assume that after we left, the tribesmen returned to gather their belongings and bury their dead. I would have left Katara there for her people to return for her, but I had no guarantee that they would come back. And I couldn't just- I couldn't leave her there. And I knew that if I tried to return, they would have attacked me, or killed me. So I gathered Katara and some of her things up and returned to the ship. Yon Rah was taken to the brig and dropped off at the first deserted island I could find.

"I never intended to adopt Katara. I only wished to keep her safe until she could be handed over to the Northern Water Tribe, in the hopes that if any of her family or kin were alive, she would be returned to them. But, she grew on me. You saw the way she had everyone's attention so focused on her with something as simple as penguin sledding! She was the very girl the crew had been searching for in order to kill, and she had them wrapped around her finger with stories and ideas that only a child could tell. She may be a waterbender, Father, but she has a fire in her blood. She is smart and determined. She is brave and fierce and kind and adoring. She doesn't like showing her pain or weakness, but she shows it to me. She hooked me to her, Father, and attached herself to me. In all reality, I'm not the one who adopted her: she adopted me!" Lu Ten cried, looking up to his father's kind eyes. He was still breathing heavy and his eyes were rimmed in red, water staining his cheeks. He swallowed hard to push the lump back from his throat. He really hadn't meant to break down like that in front of his father, but the man was just that. His father. If he couldn't cry in front of this man and share his deepest regrets and hurts, then he wouldn't be his father. Not really.

Iroh had watched his son slowly break throughout his tale. It had, indeed been a hard one. He had resisted the urge to pull his son into his embrace until he was finished, but his son never cried. So, for tears to be streaking down his face in rivulets, it must have been more for the boy to handle than even Lu Ten considered. But now, staring imploringly into his eyes, his son was ten years old again. Wrapped up in his arms crying about the most recent deaths the war had brought. Iroh had to swallow his own lump back before he could bring himself to talk.

"You are right, my son. That is a hard tale. And though I do not agree with your decision to just abandon Yon Rah in the southern sea, I cannot bring myself to be angry over it. In fact, I do not believe I would have been so merciful, were I in your shoes. You were also right not to leave her there with her mother. Taking her to be reunited with her kin in the North was a wise decision. Now, the idea that my son could be adopted by a ten year old is quite amusing, don't you think?" he asked calmly, wiping the tear stains from his son's cheeks. He chuckled at the flush that heated Lu Ten's face.

"Eleven, Father. Katara is eleven," he muttered sheepishly, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hand before dragging the whole thing down his face. He breathed a sigh of relief at the old man's understanding. The whole situation had been easier than he had thought, and telling the tale to his father felt like lifting the weight of the whole of the South Pole from his shoulders. Iroh was chuckling deeply, still laughing at the notion of Katara adopting him. It was pretty funny, now that he thought of it.

"Have I answered all your questions?" Lu Ten asked, a small smile of his own playing on his lips.

"Yes, my son. You have. For now," Iroh smiled a playful smirk at his son, only to laugh as his blush deepened again. But, Lu Ten only shook his head and poured himself a cup of tea, heating the water with a simple sigh of his breath of fire. Together they sat in a comfortable silence, Lu Ten reading over the most recent letter from Zuko and Azula, Iroh over the the newest from Azulon.

"She'll be good for them," Lu Ten said softly after a moment. "Zuko and Azula, I mean. Perhaps even Ozai and Ursa. Agni knows that Ozai is too hard on them, whereas Ursa too soft."

"Hm," was Iroh's only reply as he watched his son for a moment. But, Lu Ten was still staring at the singed parchment.

"She's terrified, you know. She wants to be accepted, but she's afraid she'll just be cast out, forgotten. I know having been left behind by her tribe has had more of an effect on her than she'll let on. And I know it is part the reason she wants to be accepted so much."

"I understand that her abandonment would have scarred her more than she is willing to accept, and that she is desperate not to be alone. But, I do not think it will be a good idea to let her get her hopes up. You and I both know that Ozai and Ursa will not take kindly to any outside influence on their family dynamics. Especially from a waterbender."

"I know, Father. I have warned her. And I will keep warning her until she sees for herself that our family is not like hers," he sighed, his shoulders sagging with fatigue. "I wish it were though. Hakoda was a good man, Sokka an amazing brother, and Kya… Katara deserves that sort of family, not the one she is going to get. Not that Zuko will be terrible to her. If anything, he will be spending more time with her than anyone else."

"Lu Ten. I do not know if you are aware, but Zuko has been declared a disgrace to the Fire Nation. He had been scarred by Azulon himself for speaking out of turn at a war meeting," Iroh sharply interjected. Lu Ten winced and let the horror and anger he felt show on his face.

"I knew, Father. And I'm angry at myself for not being there to help him," was his quiet reply as he turned his head shamefully away from the letter, his fist singing the wooden table.

"I know, my son. But, at least he was not banished. There is still time for him to redeem himself. Once you are Fire Lord, you can remove the dishonor he suffers for doing the right thing and refusing to fight his beloved grandfather. And in doing so, you will regain the honor you believe you have lost from this experience. It is fortunate for Zuko that I was there to help ease the blow. Perhaps, I should have stopped him from returning so soon. He and Katara could have been better aquatinted before arriving at the palace, and she would have someone closer to her age to help her ease into the life of Fire Nation Royalty. " Lu Ten faced his father again, giving him a half smile for his effort.

"Maybe. But, what's done is done. When we return to the Capitol, Zuko will be the first one I speak with alone. Grandfather be damned." Iroh's heavy sigh and sad smile did not go unnoticed to his son, but Lu Ten did not retract his statement.

"Very well then, Lu Ten. It is getting late, and you have a waterbender to entertain tomorrow. I suggest you get some rest. You are going to need it."

"Yes, Father. Goodnight," he replied, a small smile lighting his face before he embraced the old general again.

"By the way, Father. I will need to discuss Katara's training in waterbending. Your insight and advise would be greatly appreciated," Lu Ten said, bowing deeply to his father.  
"Of course, Lu Ten. Until then, sleep well."

Within the next hour, Lu Ten slept peacefully on one side of his bed, Katara curled up against him in her sound sleep.


End file.
